In brief: 2 suspects arrested in meth case

El Paso County sheriff's deputies and Drug Enforcement Administration agents on Tuesday found what were allegedly the components of a "meth lab" in an apartment in Montana Vista, officials said.

Officials said the sheriff's Strike Team had received a tip about drug activity at an apartment complex in the 4500 block of Krag Street.

After serving a search warrant, deputies arrested tenant Jesse Alvarez, 38, on suspicion of possession of a chemical with the intent to manufacture a controlled substance and possession of less than a gram of methamphetamine.

Deputies also arrested Chase Hale, 38, for allegedly having more than a gram of methamphetamine when investigators stopped him while he was seen driving away from the apartment. Hale also was wanted on a parole violation.

Daniel Borunda

Car chase ends in crash, arrests

El Paso police have not released the names of the people arrested after a car chase Tuesday night that stretched from Downtown to Socorro.

A police spokesman said names had not been released because the case was under investigation.

Police said the chase began when police looking for a wanted person tried to pull over a car on Interstate 10 East near Porfiio Diaz Street.

The car -- a Hyundai Tiburon, according to police radio traffic -- kept going toward the area near Trowbridge Avenue in Central El Paso, where the pursuit was stopped, police said. About 8 p.m., a dozen police cars and a helicopter searched the neighborhood.

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About 9:30 p.m., police spotted the car in the far East Side and the chase began again and headed south to the Lower Valley, police said. The car eventually crashed on North Loop Drive at Moon Road in Socorro.

Daniel Borunda

Marijuana found in back of SUV

About 35 pounds of marijuana was found in the back of a vehicle that had been stopped for a traffic violation in the Lower Valley.

Sheriff's deputies stopped a sport utility vehicle Tuesday in the 9300 block of Alameda Avenue on a traffic violation and arrested the driver, 55-year-old Osvaldo Perez.

Deputies said they found 32 bundles of marijuana weighing about 35 pounds hidden in a blue container in the back of the vehicle.

Perez, of the 4600 block of La Luz Avenue, was arrested on suspicion of possessing between 5 and 50 pounds of marijuana and on outstanding traffic warrants. He was booked into the El Paso County Jail, his bond set at $30,000 bond.

Aaron Bracamontes

Panel set to hear Wal-Mart proposal

A proposed zoning change to allow construction of a Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market at Montana Avenue and Chelsea Street is scheduled to be heard today by the City Plan Commission.

City planning officials have recommended that Wal-Mart be allowed to build its seventh El Paso Neighborhood Market grocery store in El Paso after the giant retailer agreed to make changes to its original site plan.

A Chico's Tacos and the Montana Animal Clinic are located on part of the 3.1-acre site where the proposed, 35,500-square-foot Wal-Mart supermarket would be built. The meeting will begin at 1:30 p.m. today in the City Council chambers in the new City Hall at 300 N. Campbell, which is the former El Paso Times building.

Vic Kolenc

2 arrested after drug raid Tuesday

Narcotics investigators arrested two people on suspicion of drug possession Tuesday morning in a raid on a home in Central El Paso, police said Wednesday.

Police arrested Ty Carl Easter, 25, and Carmen Easter, 54, after the SWAT team and narcotics investigators served a search warrant at Ty Easter's home in the 5800 block of East Yandell Drive.

Ty Easter had three warrants charging manufacture-delivery of a controlled substance.

Police said they found less than an ounce of marijuana in small inch-size plastic packets in the living room and a bedroom, as well as scales and drug paraphernalia.

Ty Easter, who was jailed with his bond set at $20,000, and Carmen Easter each face a charge of possessing less than 2 ounces of marijuana.